


The hand of the king

by A_wandering_mind



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Pre-Relationship, two dorks in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 02:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13694733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_wandering_mind/pseuds/A_wandering_mind
Summary: Cullen doesn't know if Ophelia is aware about his interest in her, and seems that only the hand of the king could help him. A short story based on the prompt "I am flirting".





	The hand of the king

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so please notify me mistakes or typo :D

He was half drunk and he had no clue of how it happened. Alistair had been very convincing, and the fact that  _the king of Ferelden_  asked personally to spend a few hours at the Herald’s rest with the members of the Inquisition had definitively discarded every option of renunciation. Dorian had monopolized the attention of the inquisitor, and Ophelia, though wearing stout and rigorous clothes, was still more beautiful than usual.

He no longer knew how to deal with her. She was friendly and kind to him, she appreciated his company in playing chess, but seemed immune to any romantical approach. He knew that he was awkward and clumsy, but he had given unequivocal signs of his interest, albeit interspersed with stuttering.

“Eyeing the inquisitor?” Asked Alistair with a wicked voice.

Cullen looked up at him with half-closed eyes. “Sorry?”

Alistair patted him on the shoulder, in memory of those moments spent together when they were still Templars. They were more or less the same age, tragic experiences behind them, and even if they had different lives, fate literally dragged them by events above them.

“Come on, I saw how you look at her, don’t deny it.”

“I beg your pardon,  _your majesty_ , but I think it’s not your business.”

Alistair raised an eyebrow, challenging him. “My Lady Herald.” He said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. “May I have a word with you.”

Ophelia had a worried expression and squeezed Dorian’s forearm, before lifting her chin and moving towards the two men. It was evident that she was noble by birth, and surely she knew how to deal with men of power. She approached them slowly, like she needed to assess the reason why the king had called her. She folded the hands in her lap and when she reached them bowed slightly.

“Your majesty, I’m at your disposal.” Said politely, with a light smile and a gentle tone of voice.

Alistair could not help but smile too. “Nothing to be worried about, please, you don’t need to be submissive. Cullen has given me very useful information about the inquisition, so I can shut up my advisors once I return to Ferelden. I want to have a friendly chat with you, since the commander said wonders about your persona. ”

Cullen nearly choked, and would have willingly died in the attempt to strangle King Alistair in that precise moment. When he looked up he saw that Ophelia was looking at him, smiling, and even if it was impossibile, she was even more stunning in the soft light of the tavern. Her milky hair with a golden tinge, her pale eyes shining in the dark, and her lips, those beautiful blood-colored lips, that just seemed to be waiting for a kiss.

“I really appreciate Commander Cullen, he’s a valiant and courageous man, the best that Andraste could give us.” There was no irony in her voice, but admiration and pride.

“Oh, I suppose there’s more than a simple relationship between colleagues?” Alistair saw Cullen petrified at those words, and could swear that the tip of his ears had turned to a vivid red color in seconds. The inquisitor, instead, seemed to look more questioning than embarrassed.

“I like Cullen’s company even outside the simple formal meeting, yes. He’s teaching me to play chess, too.” She said sincerely nodding the head, with an innocent and surely genuine expression.

“Who would not appreciate your company, Trevelyan? You are educated, cultured, kind and undoubtedly very beautiful. I only hope he makes you a lot of compliments, even in his awkward way of flirting with women. ”

“WHAT?” Shouted Cullen and Ophelia in unison. “He is not flirting with me.” She continued “I mean, why would he? I’m a mage and … ”

At that moment Cullen stopped listening to them. He knew that she was a mage, and even if she was the Herald of Andraste there was a very remote possibility of her becoming an abomination. He knew what it meant, his nightmares reminded him every night.   
Ophelia knew that he had stopped taking the lyrium and was proud of his decision. She had always been polite, gentle, supporting. He didn’t care that she was a mage, not anymore at least.

Alistair had a sardonic smile on his face while talking to her, while Ophelia formulated a series of hypotheses for which a mage was not a creature to be afraid of.

“I am flirting. With you." Cullen said suddendly and firmly, with a courage perhaps helped by a few glasses of wine, staring into her eyes.

Both the king and the inquisitor stopped talking and looked at the commander. With a quick glance at Ophelia’s face he noticed, in rapid succession: surprise, attention, bewilderment, and finally extreme embarrassment. She remained motionless, staring at Cullen for a moment with a dazed expression, totally displaced by what she had just heard. She blinked and then, with her cheeks literally on fire, turned on her heel and walked off briskly, not deigning to greet anyone.

Cullen grunted, before placing his forehead on the wooden table. He would never again have the courage to look at her face.

Alistair whistled. "Congratulations.” He said pleased, giving a pat on his friend’s shoulder. “I don’t know if you will now find more courage to talk to her or to throw yourself off from a parapet.”

Cullen could not help and let out a laugh. “The parapet, more likely.”


End file.
